Kirsten Baesler Superintendent | North Dakota Department of Public Instruction
State School Superintendent Kirsten Baesler has announced an upcoming vacancy on the North Dakota Board of Higher Education and is inviting applications from interested residents. The position opens as Levi Bachmeier, a current board member from West Fargo, steps down to accept Governor Kelly Armstrong’s appointment as the next superintendent of public instruction.
The new appointee will complete Bachmeier’s four-year term, which ends on June 30, 2029. Applications must be submitted by 5 p.m. on Friday, January 2, 2026. Interested candidates can send their materials via email to the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction or by regular mail to its Bismarck office.
Applicants are required to submit a one-page application form, a resume, and up to six letters of reference. Eligibility criteria include residency in North Dakota for at least five years prior and no employment or compensation from the North Dakota University System within the past two years.
According to state procedures, members of the Board of Higher Education are appointed by the governor. The superintendent of public instruction leads a five-member committee that reviews applicants and recommends three finalists for each vacancy to the governor.
The nominating committee includes Superintendent Baesler; Chief Justice Jon Jensen of the North Dakota Supreme Court; Nick Archuleta, president of North Dakota United; House Speaker Robin Weisz (R-Hurdsfield); and Senator Kyle Davison (R-Fargo), who serves as president pro tempore of the state Senate.
The Board consists of eight voting members—seven with four-year terms and one student representative serving for one year—as well as two nonvoting advisory members representing faculty and staff within the university system.
Bachmeier’s replacement will join the board immediately upon appointment but must receive confirmation from the North Dakota Senate during its 2027 session in order to continue serving.
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